{{About|the Danish island|other uses}}

{{Infobox islands

| name = Zealand

| image name = Stevns Klint.jpg

| image caption = The [[Stevns Klint|Cliffs of Stevns]] south of [[Copenhagen]]

| image size =

| map = Denmark location sjalland.svg

| native_name = Sjælland

| native_name_lang = dk

| nickname =

| location = [[Baltic Sea]]

| coordinates = {{coord|55|30|N|11|45|E|scale:2500000|display=inline,title}}

| archipelago =

| total islands =

| major islands =

| area_km2 = 7,031

| highest mount =

| elevation_m =

| country = [[Denmark]]

| country admin divisions title = [[Regions of Denmark|Region]]

| country admin divisions = [[Capital Region of Denmark]], [[Region Zealand]]

| country admin divisions title 1 =

| country admin divisions 1 =

| country admin divisions title 2 =

| country admin divisions 2 =

| country capital city =

| country largest city = [[Copenhagen]]

| country largest city population = 1,181,239

| country leader title =

| country leader name =

| population = 2,208,348

| population {{as of}} = 2012

| density_km2 = 354.3

| ethnic groups =

| additional info =

}}

'''Zealand''' ({{lang-da|Sjælland}}; {{IPA-da|ˈɕɛˌlanˀ|pron}}) is the largest (7,031&nbsp;km²) and most populated [[island]] in [[Denmark]] with a population of 2,267,659 (39% of Denmark's total as of January 2016).<ref>Source:statistikbanken.dk/Befolkning og valg/table BEF4:Folketal 1. januar efter øer.</ref>

It is the [[List of islands by area|96th-largest island in the world]] by area and the [[List of islands by population|35th most populous]]. It is connected to [[Funen]] by the [[Great Belt Bridge]], to [[Lolland]], [[Falster]] (and Germany from 2028) by the [[Storstrøm Bridge]] and the [[Farø Bridges]]. Zealand is also linked to [[Amager]] by five bridges. Zealand is linked indirectly, through intervening islands by a series of bridges and tunnels, to southern [[Sweden]].

[[Copenhagen]], the capital of Denmark, is located partly on the eastern shore of Zealand and partly on the island of [[Amager]]. Other cities on Zealand include [[Roskilde]], [[Næstved]] and [[Elsinore]]. The island is not connected historically to the Pacific nation of [[New Zealand]], which is named after the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] province of [[Zeeland]].

==Mythological origins==

[[File:Gefion.jpg|thumb|left|[[Gefion Fountain|Gefion]] carving Zealand from [[Sweden]].]]

In [[Norse mythology]] as told in the story of [[Gylfaginning]], the island was created by the goddess [[Gefjon|Gefjun]] after she tricked [[Gylfi]], the king of Sweden. She removed a piece of land and transported it to Denmark, which became Zealand. The vacant area was filled with water and became [[Mälaren]].<ref>[[Den Store Danske Encyklopædi]], article ''Gefion''</ref> However, since modern maps show a similarity between Zealand and the Swedish lake [[Vänern]], it is sometimes identified as the hole left by Gefjun.

==Geography==

Zealand is the most populous Danish island (pop. 2012 est. 2,491,090).<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica">{{cite web|last=Encyclopædia Britannica|title=Zealand|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/656125/Zealand|publisher=Britannica.com|accessdate=28 February 2012}}</ref> It is irregularly shaped, and is north of the islands of [[Lolland]], [[Falster]], and [[Møn]]. The small island of Amager lies immediately east.<br />

Copenhagen is mostly on Zealand but extends across northern Amager. A number of bridges and a [[Copenhagen Metro|metro rail]] connect Zealand to Amager, which is connected to [[Scania]] in [[Sweden]] by the [[Oresund bridge]] via the artificial island of [[Peberholm]]. Zealand is joined in the west to Funen, by the [[Great Belt Bridge|Great Belt bridge]], and Funen is connected by bridges to the country's mainland, [[Jutland]].<br />

On June 5, 2007, the regional subsidiary of national broadcaster [[DR (broadcaster)|DR]] reported that [[Kobanke]] hill in the south east, near the town [[Rønnede]] in [[Faxe municipality]], with a height of 122.9 m (403.21&nbsp;feet), was the highest natural point on Zealand. [[Gyldenløveshøj]], south of the city [[Roskilde]], has a height of 126 m (413.4&nbsp;feet), but that is due to a man-made hill from the 17th century and its highest natural point is only 121.3 m (397.96&nbsp;feet).

==Cities and towns==

[[Urban area]]s with 10,000+ inhabitants:

{| class="wikitable"

! # !! Urban area !! Municipality !! Population

|-

| 1 || '''[[Copenhagen]]''' || Multiple || 1,213,822

|-

| 2 || [[Greve Strand|Greve]] || [[Greve Municipality]] || 47,980

|-

| 3 || [[Roskilde]] || [[Roskilde Municipality]] || 47,828

|-

| 4 || [[Helsingør]] || [[Helsingør Municipality]] || 46,368

|-

| 5 || [[Hørsholm]] || Multiple || 45,865

|-

| 6 || [[Næstved]] || [[Næstved Municipality]] || 41,857

|-

| 7 || [[Køge]] || [[Køge Municipality]] || 35,295

|-

| 8 || [[Taastrup]] || [[Høje-Taastrup Municipality]] || 32,719

|-

| 9 || [[Slagelse]] || [[Slagelse Municipality]] || 32,133

|-

| 10 || [[Hillerød]] || [[Hillerød Municipality]] || 30,570

|-

| 11 || [[Holbæk]] || [[Holbæk Municipality]] ||27,195

|-

| 12 || [[Ringsted]] || [[Ringsted Municipality]] || 21,412

|-

| 13 || [[Egedal Municipality|Ølstykke-Stenløse]] || [[Egedal Municipality]] || 20,984

|-

| 14 || [[Birkerød]] || [[Rudersdal Municipality]] || 19,919

|-

| 15 || [[Smørumnedre|Måløv-Smørumnedre]] || Multiple || 19,143

|-

| 16 || [[Farum]] || [[Furesø Municipality]] || 18,422

|-

| 17 || [[Kalundborg]] || [[Kalundborg Municipality]] || 16,303

|-

| 18 || [[Lillerød]] || [[Allerød Municipality]] ||15,795

|-

| 19 || [[Frederikssund]] || [[Frederikssund Municipality]] || 15,602

|-

| 20 || [[Solrød Strand]] || [[Solrød Municipality]] || 15,159

|-

| 21 || [[Korsør]] || [[Slagelse Municipality]] || 14,538

|-

| 22 || [[Værløse]] || [[Furesø Municipality]] || 12,842

|-

| 23 || [[Frederiksværk]] || [[Halsnæs Municipality]] || 12,191

|-|-

| 24 || [[Vordingborg]] || [[Vordingborg Municipality]] || 11,643

|-

| 25 || [[Hedehusene|Hedehusene-Fløng]] || [[Høje-Taastrup Municipality]] || 11,345

|-

| 26 || [[Haslev]] || [[Faxe Municipality]] || 11,201

|}

==See also==

*[[North Zealand]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{EB1911 poster|Zealand}}

*{{Commons category-inline|Zealand}}

*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}

{{Denmark islands}}

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[[Category:Geography of Copenhagen]]

[[Category:Islands of Denmark]]

[[Category:Zealand| ]]